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I06. COMPOSITIONS, v COATING R PLASTIC.

UNITED DTATES PATENT SMITH XV. KIMBLE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGUOR TO THE MICA ASBET'iTE INSULATING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE. l

INSULATING COMPOSITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,367, dated December 1, 1891. Application filed February 24, 1891. Serial No. 382.577. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.- with another mineralsubstance or substances Be it known that I, SMITH XV. KIMBLE, a resiwhich will promote cohesion of the several indent of Denver, Arapahoe county, Colorado, gredients and enable the compound to be and a citizen of the United States of America, molded by pressure to any desired form with- 5 have invented a new and useful Im'proveout changing its shape after pressure is rementin Insulating Compositions, which immoved. Of these mineral substances several provement is fully set forth in the following may be specified which have the properties specification. necessary for the purposes of this invention.

This invention relates to the production of I obtain good results by the use of a peculiar IO compositions of matter haviugthe properties variety of talc mined in Colorado and there of hi h electrical resistance and of self-lubriknown as lnese tallow. It is important cation and Being also Ere to use talc free from lime or its compounds y reason of these proper ies whiclmmssociation with it; tion or compositions produced according to otherwise the mass, instead of being tough, r 5 this invention are capable of many industrial hard, and coherent, will be liable to disinteapplications. gration. The presence and chemical action Mica, which is an essential ingredient of of lime are also indicated by a frost-like film the compositions herein described, has been or crust which gathers on the exterior of the long recognized as anefficient substance for molded article. 0 2o insulating electrical conductors, as capable of In place of talc Ihave used with good efresisting the action of fire, and also as an a ntifeet felds ar ground to a very fine owder f rigtion substance; but difficulty has been very fine Eaoh'n" and'aIsoasISesfns reduced to experienced in attempting to combine this afine state of division. twi eunderstood, mineral with other substances which will protherefore, that these substance are equiva- 2 duce a plastic moldable compound without lents for tale for the purposes of this invenimpairingthe properties lnienTiopeF \Vhen tion. 5 l .r J compounded with'shellac 'and'resinous sub- In preparing the composition I take, say, stances, the resulting product lacks strength forty parts, by weight, of mica in the form and cohesion, and therefore is usually comknown as atomized mica, Eoity parts of o bined with metal strengthening plates or talc or its equivalent, and about three parts pieces. Moreover, binding agents of this' of silicate of soda. These proportions may of character are more or less inflammable or subcoprse vary. 1e materials are thoroughly ject to the influence of heat. mixed or incorporated by attrition, using any It has been proposed heretofore to consoliwell-known mixing apparatus. The mass at 8 5 3 5 date finely-divided mica with soluble glass this stage does not contain sufficient moisture (silicate of soda) alone; but while these subto make it pasty or coherent, but is in alogse stancesuniteunder; high press dieifii tmold When subjected, however, to a the mass is elastieg dswells 0116 336611 as pressure of, say, five tho the pressiire ishemoved. Tt'lTas'aTso beefi'prosquare inch more or less, it compacts into a 0 o posefitdcoliibine the mica and silicate of dense solid coherent mass ant re a1 t, .9, soda with earthy substances, such as lime, shape er e a 'er 1e pressure IS removed. n sand, plaster-of-paris, or paris-white; but the is of importance in carrying out the in- 'f P"?- chemical action between the alkaline silicate vention to avoid excess of moisture. \Vhen, and the limein any form produces effects that say, from t iree 0 ve per cen .o water-glass 5 45 are very detrimental. To obtain a composiisused in making the mixture, this element tion suitablefor the purposesindicated herein, contains all the moisture necessary for proper I have found it necessar to exclude lime enaction under the press. It the silicate is used tirely. the form of dr crvi a s wo per cent. of f "Recording to my invention compositions wa er or t ierea out, mus be added. The E 50 are formed by combining mica and silicate of amount of water is so slight that its presence is scarcely noticeable, and it will not cause soda (preferably in the form of soluble glass) cohesion of the particles under moderate pressure. Nevertheless when high pressure is applied, as above specified, it produoes'a compact and tenacious mass.

In drying it is desirable, though not necessary, t o use moderate heat to assist in expelling the little moisture which the article contains.

In order to make the mass thoroughly water-proof and also to increase its density, I treat it with parafiine or other analogous water-proof substance.

It has been common heretofore to waterproof various substances and articles by immersing them in paraffine liquefied by heat. For the purposes of this invention it is desirable to cause the paraffine to permeate the interior of the mass, and this I effect by heating the latter to 150 Fahrenheit and upward and then treating 1 w1 1 parafiine. The mass being thus heated throughout, the paraffine does not congeal at or near the surface, but is drawn into all the pores of the article. For such cases as require a very hard and refractory compound I add to the above ingredients sul hur either in the form of commercial flour oi sulphur or as a natural sulphur compound, such as iron co oer or antimon t rites. Thissulm d'm mdn ci pl'md scope of my invention. I do not, however, claim specifically a composition of sulphur, mica, asbestus, and silicate of soda, as .I have made a separate applica' tion therefor, filed February 26, 1891, Serial substances are used, being particularly applicable to devices in which it is desired to combine or mold the plastice substance; against or around metallic or other parts. It;

is useful for lining or surfacing journal-boxes and other friction-bearings, particularly in 1 case of devices that are difiicult of access for oiling.

The sheaves on which the cables of traction railways are supported is an example. The material can be readily sawed or drilled or otherwise acted on by edge-tools. thread can be out upon it when desired.

I claim- A screw- The composition described, consisting, es

sentiall y, of pulverized mica, silicate of soda, and a mineral substance, such as talc free from lime, combined and molded under pressure, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SMITH W. KIMBLE.

Witnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, J ONA B. CILLEY. 

